Railway-traction.



G. GIORGI.

RAILWAY TRAGTION.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 27, 1906.

Patented June, 8, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. GIORGI.

RAILWAY TRATION.

APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 27, 1906.

924,056. Y l Patented June s, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OEEIOE.

GIOVANNI GIORGI, OE ROME, ITALY, AssIGNoR OF ONE-THIRD To EMILIO GIOVANNI GoLLo AND ONE-THIRD To MICHELE FERRERO, or ROME, ITALY.

V RAILWAY-TRACTION.

No. 924,050. f

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jane s, 1909.

To allwhom it may concem: I

Be 1t known-that I, GIOVANNI GIORGI, sub- )ect of the Kmg of Italy, residing at Rome, Italy, professor and civil engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n .and Relating t0 Railway-Traction, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the`present invention is to provide some improvements i'n the traction of rallway trains, by'using electricity as a mediumof `power transmission, and consist of:-1nstallmg in a special car at the rear end of .a tram a powerv generating' plant, comprislng a steam boiler, ,a steam turbine drlvmg an electric generator, a special aircooled condenser, and all other accessory devices;.and furthermore in providing wIth electric motors the axles of the front car of the train and also the axles of any` other car;'-1n transmitting the electric cur-- rent generated by the electric generator to the driving -motors by a cable'runnin `-`all along the'train;-and finally in controIling the speed of the trainv by means of a controller placed in a compartment at the head of the train. By this combination, particularly adapted for ,lpassengertrains over long distances, the fo owin improvements in steam traction areaimec? at: 1. The separation of motor shaftsifrom the power gener.

mak'ef-.the cleaning and maintenance of the roll gstock much easier. 2. The high eco- -Iiomieal eiliciency lobtainable by the` use of Steam turbines and economically working boilers and furthermore by the use of con densation which is rendered possible only on account of the fact thatin this system the condenser is capable of -utilizmg the whole amount of air draft available in a las train, as it will be hereafter described. 3. The possibility of using for lighting and auxiliary services the electic ener ener.-

ated in the vpower plant; the possl il1tyA of traction systems from which, however, thispresent system'is distinct Aby 'the' diiference with suitable 1plugs ofthe purposes aimed at, which are funda! Figure 1 is a view showing the manner v of forming the train; Fig. 2 Vis a longitudinal section of the power generating plant;

-Fig.`,3, is a cross sectionof the power generating plant; Fig. 4 is a front view of the condenser; 5 is a full size detail of the holes in* the ront and back plates of the condenser leading to the pipes; Figs. 6, k7 are sections on lines IJ-a and b--b, respectively of Fig. 5. l

In Fig. 1,-A is an electric motor car placed at the head of the train. This car, which in our instance is half luggage and half passengerv car, is carried upon two bogies driven by electric motors. At the front of the car is placed the wattmans compartment equipped with a master controller for the train and all usual accessory lapparatus generally provided in electric cars; it is however understood that instead of the above an electric motor car of any other type may be used. B are the other vehicleswhich ma be cars of any ordinary kind.v A cable D 1s running under the bod f of each car and is rovided'at both en s to obtain the electric connections a along the train between the power generating plant and the electric motors. v I

C is the power generating plant which in the present example, is showny in detailin Figs. 2 and 3, as consistin of a .double truck car on lwhich are carried t Ie appliances hereaft-er described.

` 1 a is a boiler of any suitable type, for inlcoupled exciter d.' -A fan e is likewise represented as mountedvon the shaft of the alternator but ma also be independently driven by an auxi iaryturbine orby anI electric motor.

A condenser f isinstalled, inthelfashion of steam automobiles,-in the front Apart of the car, and is intended to condense the exhaust steam of the turbine, using ,the air as a cooling medium. This. condenser occupies transversely the whole available area allowed by the railway regulations' of the country, so as to becapable of utilizing the highest possible amount of air impelled over it by the motion .of the train and by the above mentioned fan e. Fig. 2 shows asection, and Fig. 4 a front v1ew of this condenser, which consists of a metal case traversed by a bundle of brass or copper tubes fixed to the front and back plates. In the interiorof the tubes iiows the air, while outside of them and within the case the steam circulates. The condensed steam is collected in a case g at the bottom of the condenser.

In order to facilitate the passage of the air through the condenser, the car front situated Just behind the condenser, and advantageously also the rear part of the preceding car, are shaped like a tor edo boat; furthermore the holes of the ront and back plates leading'to the tubes are bored in hopper like fashlon, as shownin Fi s. 5, 6, 7. To better operate the condenser, t e air may be moistened by a jet of water in the front ofthe condenser (not shown in the drawing). .The vacuum in the condenser is maintained by the air pum k. The hot condensed water is used to eed-the boiler by the electrically or steam operated feed pump z'. To maintain the draft 1n the boiler, part of the hot air from thev condenser is blown through pi e m into the fire box under the grate, the raft being regulated by ay valve xv. The fuel is stored in two compartments n n at the sides of the boiler (Big. 3). The'devicen seen on the top ofthe right` hand compartment is the pump of the air brake. Although thls power generating car may be pulled llke an ordinary car by the motor car laced at the head of the train, it is to be un lerstood that in order to make it self-moving for shuntin and switching and similar purposes, it

of the-front car, may-be equipled shown in the drawing) yregular run, may contribute'to the together for the propulsion of the train. In

any 'case the control-of the'train will be exv ecuted bythe same means Aused in any other V electric train, and most suitably by the wellknown multiple-unit systems, w ereby all :the singlev phases stem thereby securing a result not obtaina le wlth ordinary electric trains. It is always supposed that the turbine rotates .wlthconstant speed, regulated by its own regulator. t

AZtematz'vcs.-Turbines with free exhaust may be used, thus doing away with the condensing plant and renouncing the economy thereby realized. In this case the exhaust steam will be led to the flue to increase the draft. Instead' of a re ar constant speed turbine enerator an an ordinary controller, a turine generator without re lator may be used, controlling the train y means of any suitable device (for instance a driven motor, etc.) which froml the front cabin permits of directly acting on the steam admission to the turbine. Supplies of fuel and water mi ht be carried on a separate tender. The glraft in the boiler may be maintained by an e'ector. A separate turbine may be used or the motor actin on vthe axle p and for lighting vand au ary services etc. etc.

What I claim is 1. The combination with the cars of a railway train, of electricmotors arranged to act upon the axles of the front car and also on the axles of other cars," an electric power plant carried by the car at the rear end of the train and comprising4 a boiler, a steam turbine, andan electric. 1generator, driven by said turbine, and a cab e running all along the train and ada ted to supply the electric current to sai motors from said generator, and an air-cooled condenser inserted between the rearmost car and the preceding one, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the cars of a railway train 'of electric motors' arranged to act upon theaxles of the front car and also on the axles of other cars, an electric power plant carried by the car at the rean end 4of the train and comprising` a boiler a steam turbine, and an electric generator driven by said turbine, and a cable runnin all 'along the train and adapted to supply e electric current to said motors from sald generator, an air-cooled condenser mserted between the rearmost car and the preceding one, and

havin the front and rear lates bored and shape .1n a hopper-like fas ion to facilitate admlssion and exhaust of air, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the cars of a railway train, of-electricmotors arran ed to act Aplant carried by the car at the rear end of sis the train and comprising a boiler, a steam turbine, and an electric `generator driven by said turbine, and a cable running all along the train and adapted to sup-ply the electric current tovsaid motors from said generator, an air-cooled condenser inserted between the rearmost car and the preceding one, and having the front and rear plates bored and shaped in a hopper-like fashion to facili- 10 tate admission and exhaust of air, means to produce and maintain a vacuum in said condenser When necessary, and a fan to maintain or increase the draft of air through the condenser, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have aixedy my 15 slgnature in presence of two Witnesses.

GIGVAN NI GIORGI.

Vitnesses:

A. RAGY, D. NARBONI. 

